I guess the economy trumped Australia's involvement in Iraq...
Howards wins 4th Term
- Thread starter mathiaslg
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
And the Aussies also twigged to the fact that they'll be a target for terrorism whether or not they leave Iraq...
Actually Howard ran a very negative scare campaign against Labour. His main recital over the 6 week campain was that interest rates WILL rise under a Labour government. The public seem to have bought this .
It was always going to be hard to dislodge a government when the level of househod debt has skyrocketted over recent years.
I voted for change on the basis that I would like to see Oz move away from the Americans on foreign policy ventures, start to implement more Environmental policies (eg) to protect the Tasmanian forests, build a world class health and education system for all Ozzies (not just the few) and to end the lies that have been a prominent feature of John Howard's government.
Infact I'm now seriously considering getting actively involved in fedral politics.
It was always going to be hard to dislodge a government when the level of househod debt has skyrocketted over recent years.
I voted for change on the basis that I would like to see Oz move away from the Americans on foreign policy ventures, start to implement more Environmental policies (eg) to protect the Tasmanian forests, build a world class health and education system for all Ozzies (not just the few) and to end the lies that have been a prominent feature of John Howard's government.
Infact I'm now seriously considering getting actively involved in fedral politics.
I voted Labor as usual but with more than the usual level of trepidation. I hate John Howard and his brand of 1950's conservatism but they have done well with the economy.
Personally I don't think that the incredibly negative campaign run by the coalition worked. I merely think that given the excellent condition of the economy that people only saw risk in a change.
The other big problem is that there is no other party worth voting for. The Democrats are in caos and The Greens are nutbags who want to recind the GST, introduce death taxes and legalise drugs (although I have some sympathy for the latter idea).
Personally I don't think that the incredibly negative campaign run by the coalition worked. I merely think that given the excellent condition of the economy that people only saw risk in a change.
The other big problem is that there is no other party worth voting for. The Democrats are in caos and The Greens are nutbags who want to recind the GST, introduce death taxes and legalise drugs (although I have some sympathy for the latter idea).
Wibble
I thought Latham did well. His policies were brave but unfortunately he bodged the release of a couple of his more important ones - tax being the worst case. It is always going to be dificult to unseat a PM who presides over a bouyant economy and I think the electorate played it safe.
I just wondet what people will think when Interest rates start to rise!! I also am not sure people will be too pleased when some of Howards less savoury policies become law as a result of him holding a majority in the Senate (with the aid of the wacky far right Family First Party). One rather nasty peice of legislation is likely to be exempting small businesse from unfair dismissal laws.
In a town like Cairns where I live at 50 % of people are employed casually and have no employment rights. Most of the others are working for small businesses and could see their rights also go out of the window. Not much good having low interest rates if you are out of work!!
Also it is a shame to think what will become of the Tassie forests. Can't belive the Tassies were applauding Howard last week - short sighted pricks the lot of them. If they believe Hopward is the friend of workers then they have a nasty wake up call arriving when Howard really presses ahead with his right wing agenda this term.
Just hope Latham is given the chance to carry on leading Labour, because whoever was leader had little chance of unseating Howard, and I belive this guy at leastr has a positive clear vision for the future of Australia.
I thought Latham did well. His policies were brave but unfortunately he bodged the release of a couple of his more important ones - tax being the worst case. It is always going to be dificult to unseat a PM who presides over a bouyant economy and I think the electorate played it safe.
I just wondet what people will think when Interest rates start to rise!! I also am not sure people will be too pleased when some of Howards less savoury policies become law as a result of him holding a majority in the Senate (with the aid of the wacky far right Family First Party). One rather nasty peice of legislation is likely to be exempting small businesse from unfair dismissal laws.
In a town like Cairns where I live at 50 % of people are employed casually and have no employment rights. Most of the others are working for small businesses and could see their rights also go out of the window. Not much good having low interest rates if you are out of work!!
Also it is a shame to think what will become of the Tassie forests. Can't belive the Tassies were applauding Howard last week - short sighted pricks the lot of them. If they believe Hopward is the friend of workers then they have a nasty wake up call arriving when Howard really presses ahead with his right wing agenda this term.
Just hope Latham is given the chance to carry on leading Labour, because whoever was leader had little chance of unseating Howard, and I belive this guy at leastr has a positive clear vision for the future of Australia.
But interest rates will rise, no matter what!
Australia suffers from the same problem as Britain, in that house prices are sky high and consumers are heavily indebted. The central bank needs to tread the fine line between raising rates to engineer a soft landing and keeping rates low so that the consumers can still service the debt... They are caught between a rock and a hard place though, because if there are no rises then consumers will keep borrowing and living on the never never.
I'm very surprised that the rise was an issue. I assumed that the doubts over Labor's management of the economy were about their ability to get people to pay back debt and get investment growing again.
No Spin. People's doubt weren't that specific except in the area of interest rates. People don't forget the 13% rates that they paid under Labour in the late 80's.
I suppose there is the fear that Labour would bugger up the economy through inexperience and cosying up to the Unions.
Eric: I agree that Latham did pretty well given that Labour would have been wiped out if a general election had been held not so long ago with Crean in charge. I'm sure he will continue given his good performance and the lack of a serious alternative. I just hope he can rreinvent the labour party enough in the next 4 years because the coalition is in a strong position to win the next election now.
It remains to be seen how people adapt to the more extreme policies of the coalition, assuming they get a majority in the senate. Although I'd rather they had an absolute majority than have to rely on far right religious nutbags like "Family First".
Tassie forest are a sad afair. The amazing thing is that the government got away with promising to protect far less area than Labour, much of which wouldn't be logged anyway, while promising millions for giving up that "right". Pork barreling at its worst IMO.
Spin: Do you really think that there are sufficient pressures to require a raise in rates? Given that the housing market has had a soft landing and that we have higher interest rates than the rest of the industrialised world I can only see retail spending as a force for change in an upward direction. On the other hand another rate rise might change a soft landing in the housing market into a freefall (doubt it but you never know). My best guess is that we will get (at most) 2 x 0.25% rises in the next 12 months with further change dependent on factor we can't predict this far out.
I suppose there is the fear that Labour would bugger up the economy through inexperience and cosying up to the Unions.
Eric: I agree that Latham did pretty well given that Labour would have been wiped out if a general election had been held not so long ago with Crean in charge. I'm sure he will continue given his good performance and the lack of a serious alternative. I just hope he can rreinvent the labour party enough in the next 4 years because the coalition is in a strong position to win the next election now.
It remains to be seen how people adapt to the more extreme policies of the coalition, assuming they get a majority in the senate. Although I'd rather they had an absolute majority than have to rely on far right religious nutbags like "Family First".
Tassie forest are a sad afair. The amazing thing is that the government got away with promising to protect far less area than Labour, much of which wouldn't be logged anyway, while promising millions for giving up that "right". Pork barreling at its worst IMO.
Spin: Do you really think that there are sufficient pressures to require a raise in rates? Given that the housing market has had a soft landing and that we have higher interest rates than the rest of the industrialised world I can only see retail spending as a force for change in an upward direction. On the other hand another rate rise might change a soft landing in the housing market into a freefall (doubt it but you never know). My best guess is that we will get (at most) 2 x 0.25% rises in the next 12 months with further change dependent on factor we can't predict this far out.
Wibble said:
Well, I think you'd be closer to the Aussie housing market than I am. But only in June, 4 months ago, I read something that said house prices were still rising, despite 2 quarter percent rises since June 2003. So I'm quite surprised to hear that just 4 months on there has been a soft landing already.
The Bank of England has raised rates 4 times since the beginning of the year trying to engineer a soft landing, but they are still unable to judge whether or not there has actually been one.
I don't know how the relative indebtedness of the Australian and the British consumers compare, but if anything I think the British consumer is probably more indebted relative to income and would be more sensitive to interest rate rises than the Aussie consumer, yet rates in Britain have shot up.
You're probably right regarding the Aussie rate outlook for the next 12 months. Another half percent would bring rates to around 5.75%, if I remember rightly, which is actually the upper limit of the range for 'soft landing' rates in Britain.
Given the difficulty of judging where the 'soft landing' rate is though, and also the need to induce consumers to save more through actually putting money in the bank rather than in their houses, 2 rate rises is probably the minimum that will happen. I can't see anything less than that.
Wibble, what is involved in this "Family First" platform?
I was hoping labour would win since im going to uni next year and Latham claimed there would be more spots in courses for aussies and the costs would decrease.
Tasmania is full of imbreds. They havent got a clue.
I liked Lathams policies. He reflects on the individuals and families rather then Howard who reflects on the economy and businesses. He makes the Rich richer and the Poor poorer.
Tasmania is full of imbreds. They havent got a clue.
I liked Lathams policies. He reflects on the individuals and families rather then Howard who reflects on the economy and businesses. He makes the Rich richer and the Poor poorer.
I read a few decent articles in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday - a nice alternative to the Howard freindly "Australian". The view in there was that people have voted in a pretty greedy and gullible manner, without taking much interest in Labour's more "society friendly" policies.
The interest rate thing was painful to watch unfold. Atleast 2 of my colleagues were fully taken in by it. Ironically both Howard and Costello are Lawyers by profession (buch of wankers the lot of them - me included!!!) and Latham has an Honours degree in Economics! Also the governmnet's promised spending far outtripped Labours and the likely haood is that rates will perhaps rise at a greater rate because of the coalitions profligacy.
Let's just hope that the fears of the Coalition being untouchable for another 6 years are unfounded - what do you think of Labour's chances in 2007 Wibble?? - fecked or still a possibility?
The interest rate thing was painful to watch unfold. Atleast 2 of my colleagues were fully taken in by it. Ironically both Howard and Costello are Lawyers by profession (buch of wankers the lot of them - me included!!!) and Latham has an Honours degree in Economics! Also the governmnet's promised spending far outtripped Labours and the likely haood is that rates will perhaps rise at a greater rate because of the coalitions profligacy.
Let's just hope that the fears of the Coalition being untouchable for another 6 years are unfounded - what do you think of Labour's chances in 2007 Wibble?? - fecked or still a possibility?
spinoza said:
Prices are still rising in WA/Darwin/North Queensland where prices are still very cheap and SE Queensland where it probably has another year or two of 5-10% growth in prices.
The big markets of Melbourne and Sydney have dropped already, in some cases by as much as 6-10%. The home loan market is estimated to drop by 10% in the next year (albeit from a very inflated high point last year).
Further cust could send Melbourne and Sydney prices into a serious decline IMO.
EricVanCoppell said:
Unless something really fecks up for the coalition it will be very hard for labour to come back from this. A change of leadership of the Liberal party might make a difference but IMO Costello is better than Howard. If the economy keeps motoring and there is no collapse in the housing market then I think we have a 95% chance of seeing yet another coalition term.
Why is almost everyone on this site so averse to conservative governments?
What social policies are supported by Howard and co... that anger them so?
What social policies are supported by Howard and co... that anger them so?
mathiaslg said:
Good question since most of had never heaqrd of them before Saturday and now the loons may hold the balance of power in the upper house.
Essentially they are a far right christian organisation that wants everything to be judged according to it's effect on Families. This vision specifically states that homosexual relationships aren't included. They are for marriage/sexual fidelity/against divorce, for detention of refugees and the speedy processing of theoir claims (reading between the lines I assume they mean "so we can get rid of them faster), pro Iraq war and against stem cell research (and I assume abortion).
They don't really have policies, merely positions. If you think "what would a far right christian's knee jerk reaction be to this issue" then you just about sum up their stance. I really hope they don't get the balance of power.
mathiaslg said:
His whole brand of 1950's style conservatism irritates me beyond belief. Women in the kitchen, Abo's knowing their place and his assumption that we are all Christians (and doddery old ones at that). It doesn't help that he is an irritable old fogey who had a charismaectomy at birth. His government has done a good job with the economy but I fear that they will now damage the fabric of society the way Thatcher did in the UK.
He is also feeding money to private schools (particularly religious ones) at the expense of public education, he is imposing funding restrictions on Uni's that give places to those who have rich parents rather than those with talent and dumbing down educational standards by penalising Uni's for failing people. The health system is in Crisis due to funding restrictions and changes to bulk billing (increasing health costs for almost everyone). I could go on but I'm sure you get the idea.
And he will let the destruction of Australia's natural resources continue with little restriction.
mathiaslg said:
Invading Iraq and in the process making Oz a greater terrorist target,
locking up Assylum seekers and their children in desert prisons,
failing to address any Environmental issues (being alone with the US in not signing up to Kyoto),
implementing tax policies that penalise working mothers,
Redistibuting Government money from state schools to private schools
Running down Medicare
Planning in this term to scrap unfair dismissal laws
Wibble said:
My family's situation is a case in point
I earn around $55000 working 4 days a week as a Solicitor
My wife and I had a baby in January and she is currently on maternity leave.
She will return to work for a day and a half earning perhaps $6000 by the end of the tax year. Our combined income wil be around $ 61000.
A friend works as a barriser - he is earning around $85000 and his wife has no intention of working - she actually is fairly proficient at supping Lattes!
My family gets around $45 dollars a week family tax benefit. The high earning family with the stay at home mum gets around $90 dollar a week.
The "white picket fence" mentality is alive and well!! However the reality is in this country that with house prices so high and mortgages so large, the luxury of Mum staying at home is the preserve of the few.
What astounds me is that my situation in a town like Cairns is probably closer to the norm than the high earning barrister. If Latham had been elected the average family would have been around 100 dollars a week better off. However people have fallen for the scare campaign, failed to try to work it all out for themselves and rewarded Mr Howard once more.
Unbelievable.
Not wishing for interest rates to rise but when they inevitably do I hope the sad feckers who gave Howard a majority in both Houses start to realise what they have done - particularly when they witness more of their employment rights being eroded, bulk billing doctors vanishing and the roof falling in on the local state school.
I agree to a large degree.
I'm suprised he hasn't cut many government benefits that apply to the employed and redistributed wealth through the tax system. Allow people to be taxed as a couple would be a good start (allowing a parent to stay at home and save tax and allowing two working parents to be taxed at the houseold income level rather than the personal level). You can give extra tax threshold allowances to people with kids if you want to encourage population growth. Cut subsidies to private schools but allow parent to tax deduct their school fees etc etc.
It would reduce the costs to government substantially and be fairer across the board even of it was used for an agenda you don't agree with. If there is a surplus that the government isn't going to spend then I am also in favor of raising GST and cutting income tax (and marginal rates) but it won't happen because the government promised all of GST income to the states. I would also like to see a cut in business tax to 15 or 20c in the dollar to encourage business and reduce the incentives for big business to go offshore (and nothing to do with the fact that I am self employed )
I'm suprised he hasn't cut many government benefits that apply to the employed and redistributed wealth through the tax system. Allow people to be taxed as a couple would be a good start (allowing a parent to stay at home and save tax and allowing two working parents to be taxed at the houseold income level rather than the personal level). You can give extra tax threshold allowances to people with kids if you want to encourage population growth. Cut subsidies to private schools but allow parent to tax deduct their school fees etc etc.
It would reduce the costs to government substantially and be fairer across the board even of it was used for an agenda you don't agree with. If there is a surplus that the government isn't going to spend then I am also in favor of raising GST and cutting income tax (and marginal rates) but it won't happen because the government promised all of GST income to the states. I would also like to see a cut in business tax to 15 or 20c in the dollar to encourage business and reduce the incentives for big business to go offshore (and nothing to do with the fact that I am self employed
)EricVanCoppell said:
Mainly touching on the bold part. I completely agree. I also hope he does retire and Costello comes into power after they promised this would not happen. I go/went to a private school. I graduated 2 weeks ago from Waverly College. Its a Christian Brothers School in sydney. We get the highest amount of money from the Government. 6 million it is.
Also one thing i cant stand about aussies here is that they fail to understand how the government works. They dont open their eyes to see what goes on. 6 months before an election Howard makes everything look good. Interest rates are stable, Uemployment is at its lowest, economy is doing well, family and medicare benefits are appealing...and once he is elected then all that goes to shit. Well most of it does. The economy is still booming but what about the individuals and the families...
My main concern since im only 17 are the universities. Come to sydney and every university is filled with international students mainly from the asian region taking up all the uni spots paying the full fee and then fecking off to their countries with business, economics, commerce, law degrees to go and work in their family corner business most likely seeling fake/illegal shit. What a good way to use the uni degree when some aussie straight out of school has to either wait a year for acceptance or go to TAFE and waste a year so they can transfer and even that isnt guaranteed. I just hope i get the right marks to take me straight into uni...Above 81% and i should be fine. Exams in 1 week which will run for 4 weeks so wish me luck. Thats why i wanted Latham in. He promised to increase course spots in all unis. Decrease the cost of unis. Decrease the acceptance of international students. Basically making it more beneficial for the aussie citizen.
Wibble - where are you based mate?
I'm pretty lucky to have bought a really nice place next to a national park 2 and a half years ago in Cairns where prices have for the first time ever , gone through the roof recently - Not sure I'd be able to afford to migrate South mind you (unless I went for the s day a week 12 hour a day plus commuting routine - that's why I left England!!)
I'm pretty lucky to have bought a really nice place next to a national park 2 and a half years ago in Cairns where prices have for the first time ever , gone through the roof recently - Not sure I'd be able to afford to migrate South mind you (unless I went for the s day a week 12 hour a day plus commuting routine - that's why I left England!!)
YianniArvani said:
I love the vision of all these Law and Medicine graduates selling Georgio Armanyy, Guchy, Adeedas and Ralph Loren fake T shirts and Sunnies in some corner shop in Singapore!!!!Feel sorry for you mate that your higher education is going to cost an arm and a leg.
I was a lucky bugger who studied in the days when student grants were alive and well in the UK. Mind you little Jonny Howard's mentor Margaret Thatcher changed all that too.
EricVanCoppell said:
I live in the Blue Mountains to the West of Sydney. We moved here 15 months ago after a decade in Townsville. Whereabouts do you live in Cairns? I know it quite well and my brother in law and family live near Kuranda.
What are you hoping to study Yianni? And where?
Wibble said:
Sydney must be a big big change from the place in FNQ that the Cairns locals call "Mt Isa by the Sea!!" I guess living in the Blue Mountains area would be pretty chilled out - sounds nice.
I live in a Rainforest area near Smithfield called Kamerunga - it's a valley full of pole homes and a bloody unbelievable place to live. We have a big deck at the back and the Barron River lapping against our back garden
. The area is pretty much directly below Kuranda - infact if you have ever done the Kuranda train trip the route passes around our "estate".Are your relies in Kuranda itself?
What do ya reckon to swapping life in the tropics for Sydney?? Despite landing on our feet big time both me and the Missus occasionally think what it would be like to try Sydney for a while. I've been there plenty of times but never actually lived there.
I know more or less where you live. My Brother and sister in law live in a house on a farm owned by her family just outside Kuranda in Speewah.
Mt Isa by the sea Cheeky fecker.
Townsville is a great place to live especially now that is has the stand development and its own brew pub. Like most remote centres employment opportunities are limited. My wife worked for JCU and if you want to move on you need to move cities. I miss the weather but the mounains are pretty damn good.
I wouldn't want to live in Sydney proper. Far too expensive for one but if your are a lawyer maybe you could get a job that would mean that you could afford it. The ridiculous situation I'm in is that despite being a mortgage broker, because of the huge disparity between prices in Townsville and NSW, I am still saving to get back into the housing market down here.
Mt Isa by the sea
Cheeky fecker.Townsville is a great place to live especially now that is has the stand development and its own brew pub. Like most remote centres employment opportunities are limited. My wife worked for JCU and if you want to move on you need to move cities. I miss the weather but the mounains are pretty damn good.
I wouldn't want to live in Sydney proper. Far too expensive for one but if your are a lawyer maybe you could get a job that would mean that you could afford it. The ridiculous situation I'm in is that despite being a mortgage broker, because of the huge disparity between prices in Townsville and NSW, I am still saving to get back into the housing market down here.
My fear mate is that there is a huge difference between my rather cushy number up here where I swan into work 4 days a week and get to leave at 5 O clock, and a law job in Sydney where I would probably join all the other spivs working 12 hour days.
Prices in Sydney are feckin ridiculous but I guess in your line of work you'll at least get an idea where the bargains (if any) are. Just so glad we bought here in 2002 - Our place cost 205 k and is now valued at 350 k. I reckon with our "relatively" small mortgage compared with my mates slaving away in London I've got it fairly cruisey.
Best of luck with everything anyway.
Prices in Sydney are feckin ridiculous but I guess in your line of work you'll at least get an idea where the bargains (if any) are. Just so glad we bought here in 2002 - Our place cost 205 k and is now valued at 350 k. I reckon with our "relatively" small mortgage compared with my mates slaving away in London I've got it fairly cruisey.
Best of luck with everything anyway.
Wibble said:
Thanks for the info.
Wibble said:
I plan to study commerce/business/economics ... i had to submit 9 preferences, most of them consisted of commerce at 6 different uni's.
New South Wales University - no chance in making that since 95% of students are asian full fee paying.
Sydney University
Macquarie University
University of Technology in Sydney
Wollongong University - most likely one ill get into to, also close to me since i live in the Sutherland Shire and the cut off UAI is 81. (UAI meaning University Administration Index, if you didnt know)
Australian Catholic University
I sit the HSC on Monday. Fingers Crossed i make it into uni straight away.
EricVanCoppell said:
Feel sorry for you mate that your higher education is going to cost an arm and a leg.
I was a lucky bugger who studied in the days when student grants were alive and well in the UK. Mind you little Jonny Howard's mentor Margaret Thatcher changed all that too.
Yeah its a bloody joke. Then they wonder why we dont have enough doctors etc ... They all leave the country once they get their bloody degrees.
EricVanCoppell said:
Sydney prices are a joke. My parents bought the house im currently living in 3 years ago. We were looking for 18 months. We used to live in Paddington. Very posh and expensive but the houses were shitty. The area was great, very conveinate (nice pubs around the place u poms would love it). Value of houses at Paddington started at 800 000 and would go as far as a couple of million. We bought this house in the Sutherland Shire for 710 000. Its 10 times the size of the 2 storey terrace house in paddo. We living in a 4 storey house now with pool, double garage, its nicer. But of course the area isnt much to boast about. But while on the house hunt we kept coming across houses in the eastern suburbs all priced between 800 000 - 1mil ... and they all needed renovations to them.
I wouldnt mind living out where you live eric and wibble...but all my life i have been living around the city i doubt i could cope.
You make no mention of tax rates,Your friend would pay a higher rate on $61000 than as the combined income of yor wife and you also after $62000 your friend would pay 49 cent in the dollar.I dont believe he is better off as he would have payed a fair bit of tax more.EricVanCoppell said:
Lover of Football said:
He pays more tax on his actual income of course, but of course has more in his hand by at least a couple of hundred dollars each week.
The big injustice is that despite taking home more cash the fcat that they have a stay at home mum means that they receive more in governm,net assistance.
Helping out well heeled barristers who live in million dollar houses is surely not the purpose of social security.
Look I am not EXACTLY doing it tough compared with alot of people out there although at the moment finaces ARE a bit tight. The inequity of the situation will a feel have crueler finacial cosequences for many families out there who are struggling and are penalised for the mother working.
Of course the purpose is to encourage women to stay at home with the kids. Like a 1050's sicom it is.
I would love for one of us to be able to stay at home at least part time but if we want to get back into the real estate market and then actually eat as well as pay the mortgage we both need to work even though we both earn reasonably well.
In Sydney I think you need in excess of 100k a year for a couple with 1 kid and an average mortgage to be comfortable. Property ownership is now out of the reach of many.
I would love for one of us to be able to stay at home at least part time but if we want to get back into the real estate market and then actually eat as well as pay the mortgage we both need to work even though we both earn reasonably well.
In Sydney I think you need in excess of 100k a year for a couple with 1 kid and an average mortgage to be comfortable. Property ownership is now out of the reach of many.
YianniArvani said:
I'm not that far out of Sydney as I live in Springwood half way up the mountain. About 1.5 hours train or drive from the city centre. A bit sedate for youngsters I suspect but great for families.
In that case I've been talking bollocks!Wibble said:
You're right, interest rates aren't going to go up so far. 10% fall in Sydney - that's one hell of a soft landing.
YianniArvani said:
How are the Unis funded?
If foreigners are going there and paying full fees to fund the uni then you should be thankful that the uni is there for you to go to.
And many grads stay on in Australia anyway. You'll just have to study harder to compete.
spinoza said:
Some courses cost 100 000 + like law and medicine. Im not sure how much commerce courses are but you can either pay all of it up front which is classified as a full paying uni student which practically guarantees ur entrance into the course depending on whether you have the suitable UAI mark. Then theres this thing called HEX. Which you pay a certain percentage of the course over a period of time. You can be 20 years out of uni and still be paying for it.
Competition is high for places because of the international students. It shouldnt have to be since all they do is get the piece of paper of completion and then feck off to their countries. Unis are well funded even without the help of international students and fees have increased rapidly. These days you cant really get a good job unless you have a uni degree. Without it there isnt much available for you.
spinoza said:In that case I've been talking bollocks!
You're right, interest rates aren't going to go up so far. 10% fall in Sydney - that's one hell of a soft landing.
The areas that have fallen were the most overheated and it is usually off the plan units that have dropped the most due to oversupply. Most of Sydney is still either growing slowly or more or less static.